Salman the Persian

Salman the Persian (died 656) was a sahabi of Muhammad from Persia. It was Salman that recommended digging a trench against the Quraysh at the eponymous "Battle of the Trench", and he served as Governor of al-Mada'in in Iraq under the Rashidun Caliphate.

Biography
Salman was born in the city of Kazerun in what is now Fars Province, Iran, and he studied to be a Zoroastrian magus (priest) for the first sixteen years of his life, becoming the guardian of a fire temple. However, he converted to Nestorian Christianity in 587, fleeing his family to become a Christian after meeting some Nestorians in Kazerun. He travelled the Middle East, speaking with scholars, priests, and theologians, and he heard of Muhammad for the first time while he was in Syria. Salman met Muhammad in Medina, and it was Salman who recommended to build a trench against Quraysh cavalry in 627, leading to the victory at the Battle of the Trench. After the death of Muhammad, he took part in the conquest of the Sassanids of his Persian homeland, and he translated the Quran into Persian (the first translation of the book). Salman died in 656 in al-Mada'in, which he ruled as governor.